Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
7 Gifts an MFA Gave Me that Changed My Writing Life
I hid brochures for MFA programs in my bottom desk drawer. Every few months I’d take them out, page through, dream a little… Until finally in 2009 I enrolled in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. The program took two years of concentrated study at home, and for 60 days, spread over five residencies, I lived...
Books for Tweens and Teens: Two Novels in (Supposed) Verse
On my worktable I have two novels. Open each and you’ll see line breaks, ragged margins, the form of poetry. But after reading both I wonder, are they truly in verse? Does the poetic form fit both novels equally well in terms of voice, use of language, and creation of vivid moments? Is the poetic form necessary for both books, and if not, why?
How to Switch From Blogger to Squarespace in 415 Easy Steps
Welcome to the Obsessiblog: Was it only two weeks ago? Just two weeks? The brilliant thought struck: I want continuity, simplicity, everything with one design in one place. I should move my little Blogger blog over to Squarespace where my website is hosted. Oh, to be so young and naïve...
Beyond the First Right Answer: Writing Craft and Dewitt Jones
"Anybody can come up with one right answer." The key is to look for the next right answer ...
What Publishing Will Do For You
In Bird by Bird Anne Lamott describes publishing as the golden eagle on your credit card that only seems to soar, and she writes, "Almost every single thing you hope publication will do for you is a fantasy."
On Punctuating Dialog ...
It’s a common confusion – how on earth do I punctuate dialog? Punctuating dialog is the same as punctuating any sentence, isn't it? You put the end punctuation at the end of a sentence? Except with dialog, even if it’s not the end of a sentence, you still might put in end punctuation, but then you need more end punctuation, and ... it’s a confusing mess. The key is this...